Full House to Launch Illinois Casino
The US land-based casino operator Full House Resorts has announced its intention to open a brand new casino facility in the midwestern state of Illinois within the next three months of 2022. It simultaneously unveiled another location planned to open in Cripple Creek, Colorado, with construction already underway and which is scheduled to begin operations in mid-2023.
Full House Resorts has announced its plans to open a brand-new casino facility in the midwestern state of Illinois within the next three months of 2022. ©juergen-polle/Pixabay
Product and Systems Testing at Illinois Casino Set to Begin Before End of November 2022
Good news for midwestern casino fans: the US land-based casino operator Full House Resorts has revealed that it has been working on plans to open a whole new casino facility in Illinois already within the next three months of 2022, while also taking the opportunity to unveil yet another location, this time in Colorado, already scheduled to commence operations in mid-2023.
Full House Resorts’ Illinois project seems to likewise be well underway, given that product and systems testing at the site in Waukegan is due to begin already before the end of November 2022, with roughly 1,000 slot machines being installed this very week in early November 2022. The launch of the new Illinois casino is expected to bring with it hundreds of new jobs, with over 400 offers already having been made for positions at the resort.
In the meantime, Full House Resorts clarified that its ambitious Chamonix project, located in Cripple Creek, Colorado, is also moving along swimmingly, even prompting president and chief executive Daniel Lee to reveal that construction reached its ‘topping off’ milestone just recently in September 2022.
Construction of Colorado Chamonix Project Proceeding at a Healthy Pace
Returning to the topic of its upcoming Illinois casino project, Full House Resorts president and chief executive Daniel Lee gave observers a sneak peek at its current plans, revealing that it is already putting in décor, while still withholding the precise opening date due to an ongoing checklist:
“In Waukegan, Illinois, we are installing décor and are preparing for the installation of slot machines this week. We expect to have our entire slot floor installed and ready for testing before the end of November. As with all new casino openings, we have an extensive checklist to complete prior to welcoming our first customers. Therefore, while the company expects to open the casino within the next three months, the precise opening date is still uncertain.”– Daniel Lee, President and Chief Executive, Full House Resorts, Press Release
Already revealing the casino’s full name, Lee noted that it would be the only land-based casino in the county, boasting that it is both one of the most populous and wealthy ones in the entire country:
“When The Temporary opens, it will be the only casino in Lake County, Illinois, which has a population of approximately 700,000 and ranks as one of the wealthiest counties in the US.”
As for its Colorado complex, Lee promised fans that the Chamonix resort would be one of the state’s largest upon completion, serving nearby Colorado Springs in particular:
“Chamonix’s construction continues at a meaningful pace, with glass now being installed on the façade and drywall within the building. When complete, Chamonix will be one of the larger casino hotels in Colorado and the largest and most luxurious casino hotel in Cripple Creek, which is the primary casino destination for the Colorado Springs market.”
BetMGM Began Sports Betting Operations in Illinois in March 2022
In other Illinois-related news, back in March 2022, BetMGM announced that it had finally launched its mobile sports betting app in the US state. Players in the state can now make full use of BetMGM’s online sports wagering platform to place pre-game, live in-play, futures and parlay wagers on a plethora of different sports leagues and events.
BetMGM’s sportsbook in Illinois is offered alongside its popular and now revamped proprietary BetMGM Rewards program, a loyalty program which launched in January 2022 and allows players to earn points with every wager they put down.
BetMGM chief executive Adam Greenblatt also sees the midwestern state of Illinois as one of the country’s largest, and potentially most lucrative, sports betting markets:
“This launch marks a significant milestone for BetMGM as we enter one of the country’s biggest sports betting markets. We look forward to working with the state of Illinois to bring its passionate sports fans a new, innovative and unique sports betting experience.”– Adam Greenblatt, Chief Executive, BetMGM, Press Release
Bally’s and Chicago Labor Unions Struck Deal Together in October 2022
Illinois has been seeing lots of activity lately, with major casino operator Bally’s Corporation finally coming to an agreement with a consortium of trade union organizations in October 2022 on the subject of the construction of its Bally’s Chicago casino.
The deal resulted in the signing of a multi-project labor agreement (PLA) with the Chicago & Cook County Building & Construction Trades Council (CCBT) and the AFL-CIO Building and Construction Trades Department.
Chicago & Cook County Building & Construction Trades Council President Michael Macellaio celebrated the news, claiming that the good faith agreement is proof of Bally’s commitment to valuing the hard work done by Chicago’s broad working class:
“BCTC is proud to stand with Bally’s Chicago in this historic building of the first and only casino in the City of Chicago. With this agreement, Bally’s shows that it understands the importance of good-paying jobs in our city and the dignity of our hard-working people.”
